Dinghy leak

[mellis18]

Still having problems with my dang dinghy. Although now its water coming in, not air going out. Looks like I have seawater coming in where the hard bottom is sealed to the pontoons. It's at the very end of the hard shell and if I knew what kind of sealant to use I could fix it. Is there an epoxy or other type of "glue" that I can put on the water side of the dinghy?

 

[kenwarner]

I hauled the dinghy up on deck, put in several buckets of water, and then crawled underneath and marked the leaks with a felt tip pen. After letting the dinghy dry out, I used a syringe (from West Marine) to inject MEK into the leak areas, and then injected normal dinghy repair cement into the same areas. Seems to work O.K., but probably need a couple of repeat operations to get all the leaks.

 

[caguy]

There is a good youtube video that demostrates how to do it. I just bought a Zodiac with a large separation at the front. The adhesive depends on whether it is PVC or Hypalon. The adhesives are very specific to each. There are quite a few dinghy repair kits on the market.

 

[mellis18]

There is a good youtube video that demostrates how to do it. I just bought a Zodiac with a large separation at the front. The adhesive depends on whether it is PVC or Hypalon. The adhesives are very specific to each. There are quite a few dinghy repair kits on the market.

What did they use for materials. On the website Inflatableboat.com they a number of repair kits. I'm wondering if any of those would do the trick. I would hate to order a kit for $80.00 + shipping and find out that it just for patches!!

 

[caguy]

What did they use for materials. On the website Inflatableboat.com they a number of repair kits. I'm wondering if any of those would do the trick. I would hate to order a kit for $80.00 + shipping and find out that it just for patches!!

I found a vibyl cement for PVC recommended by Sailrite. It is much cheaper than the small cans or tubes that come with a patch kit.
Here is a source that is cheaper than Sailrite, though I do appreciate their demonstration of HH-66 on youtube.

http://veneersupplies.com/products/HH-66-Vinyl-Cement.html

 

[Steve Dion]

You need to know the material before you do anything. There are shop that can do the repair too. Do you travel to the L.A. or Sf area.?

 

[mellis18]

I travel to both areas but LA is closer. I believe there is a place in Ventura.

You need to know the material before you do anything. There are shop that can do the repair too. Do you travel to the L.A. or Sf area.?

 

[Steve Dion]

Try a google search for inflatable boat repairs in California and see what turns up. I would check their references before I left my equipment with the shop.

By the way, we made a trip up the coast of California a couple of years back! It was amazing to see all of the sea life while moto-sailing into to Moro Bay. The whales put on a show better than anything at Sea World.,

 

[mellis18]

We just experienced a spectacular show by humpback whales in the area...Avila Beach. You might have seen it on the Today Show. If you are ever cruising by again let me know and maybe we could get together. Great anchor area in San Luis Bay.